Plainview’s Emily Jones takes on a new adventure

By RICHARD PORTERHerald Staff Writer

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 21, 2009

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BACK IN HER OLD STOMPING GROUNDS: Fox Sports Southwest personality Emily Jones McCoy works the sidelines at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock during the recent Texas Tech-University of New Mexico football game. Jones, who recently married Mike McCoy of Fort Worth, is a 1995 graduate of Plainview High School and Tech and worked as sports director for KCBD-TV in Lubbock before going to work for Fox Sports. less

BACK IN HER OLD STOMPING GROUNDS: Fox Sports Southwest personality Emily Jones McCoy works the sidelines at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock during the recent Texas Tech-University of New Mexico football game. ... more

Plainview’s Emily Jones takes on a new adventure

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Emily Jones, technically, is not Emily Jones anymore. She is Emily Jones McCoy.

That doesn’t mean that she isn’t still, well, Emily Jones.

That may sound weird, but the recently-married Jones has made a career of hard work and new adventures, and she was off on another one as she took a few minutes to talk to the Herald recently.

The Plainview native, 1995 graduate of Plainview High School and Fox Sports personality was on her way to Austin to film an episode of "Friday Night Lights."

Jones explained that several Big XII coaches had been in episodes and that she had heard that the show was looking for someone to play the part of a TV reporter for episode 406.

She said she auditioned for the part and got accepted.

She was scheduled to film Friday, although she isn’t sure when the episode will air.

"It was an opportunity and sounded like it was going to be fun," she said.

Jones went on to say she didn’t think it would be anything like her day job as a sports reporter for Fox Sports Southwest in the Metroplex.

"I’m sure it will be completely different," she said. "What I try to do in my reporting job is be as real as possible."

Jones said she just tries to be herself and be very down-to-earth as she works the sidelines at the Big XII game of the week — she was in Lubbock two consecutive weekends as the Texas Tech Red Raiders took on New Mexico and then Kansas State — or works with the Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks.

In her role as a TV reporter on "Friday Night Lights," however, she said they probably are going to want her to be a lot more dramatic.

"That’s exactly the opposite of what I try to do," she said.

Jones said that while being on the television show should be a fun experience, she isn’t really looking to be an actress.

Right now she is very happy with her job with Fox and with her life in general . . . which brought her to the McCoy that has been tacked on to the end of her name.

Jones, who had her name changed legally to Emily Jones McCoy ("No hyphen, Jones is my middle name now") recently married Fort Worth mortgage broker and TCU graduate Mike McCoy.

"He usually comes to a game or two a year. We got engaged in Kansas City the weekend of the Big XII Championship game last year. He’s pretty great . . . puts up with me, so that says something."

Jones said she is interested in starting a family and doesn’t see any problem with that conflicting with her career in front of a camera.

In fact, she said, a couple of the Texas Rangers even started giving her a hard time, wondering if she was pregnant when she mentioned that it was hot.

Jones said she has considered the challenges and perceptions that she could face if and when the couple starts having children.

She said she believes attitudes have changed a lot over time, but if they haven’t, well, so be it.

"If my being pregnant causes a problem with anyone in doing my job, shame on them," she said. "Hopefully, you’ve built up enough credibility with your audience and, more importantly to me, the people I cover every day."

So what does the future hold for the young woman who graduated from Tech early and started her sports career as sports director for KCBD in Lubbock?

Jones said she isn’t actively pursuing anything right now and is quite content in Fort Worth.